Bedtime Story
by Cantica10
Summary: When Belle suffers a nightmare, who but her true love can comfort her?


I love Rumple and Belle. This little fluffy oneshot was inevitable. It's slightly out of place; a few discrepancies with the canon of the show, but oh well. I do what I can. I hope you enjoy it.

**"Bedtime Story"**

Belle rolled over in bed, expecting the warmth and comfort of her lover's arms to meet her. She was somewhat surprised that instead when she reached out, her embrace was met by only the cold night air.

Groggy, she opened her eyes, blinking a few times before they adjusted to the darkness of the room. Mr. Gold was not in bed beside her. The sheets on his side were wrinkled, proving he had been there at some point, but judging by the lack of warmth lingering on the indentation where his body had been, not for some time.

Confused, Belle sat up, her covers pooling at her waist. Scanning the room, her gaze fell upon Mr. Gold's form standing by the dresser, his back to her. "Rumple?" Belle spoke into the room's stillness, her voice slightly rough. "What are you doing? It's the middle of the night. Come back to bed."

He didn't move. As Belle stared at his back she felt worry and confusion begin to twist in her chest. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Concerned for the love of her life, Belle swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She crossed the room with soft footsteps until she reached Mr. Gold. He still didn't move.

Slowly, Belle wrapped her arms around his waist and molded her body to his, pressing her cheek against his back, right between her shoulder blades. "Rumple," she said quietly. "Come back to bed. Whatever this is it can wait until morning."

She felt his body shift and she let out a long breath as he turned around in her arms. He looked tired; slightly haggard, almost. Belle watched his lips curl into a smile as he looked into her eyes, and he lifted a hand towards her face. "Oh, Belle," he whispered.

"Well isn't this an adorable scene?" a new voice spoke from the room's corner, and Belle froze. That voice was all too familiar and all too horrible. It sent shivers running down her spine. She turned her head to see their intruder and her heart froze when her eyes met those of the woman who had very nearly ruined her happiness once before.

"Zelena," she whispered.

The wicked witch of the west smirked as she proceeded further into the room from the corner where she had been lurking. "Oh, don't let me stop you. After all," she laughed and seated herself on the corner of the bed, crossing her legs. She reached into her sleeve and Belle's stomach dropped as she watched Zelena pull the Dark One's dagger from within. "You won't have much longer with him."

"No," Belle breathed. Her first instinct was to pull Mr. Gold closer to her. "You can't."

"Belle, please," Mr. Gold said gently.

"I can do whatever I please," Zelena grinned wickedly. "Starting with this. Dark One."

Belle felt Mr. Gold tense. She looked at his face and watched as she lost him. He snapped to attention to receive orders from the master of his dagger.

Zelena flashed Belle a look of victory and commanded, "Kill her."

Belle barely had time to even consider screaming before Mr. Gold's hands closed around her throat.

And that's when she woke; tearful, short of breath, and afraid. It took her several moments to come to grips with the fact that it had been a dream. All of it, every last terrible detail, just a nightmare. But when she turned over and saw that Mr. Gold wasn't in bed next to her, fresh terror washed over her. Suddenly, her nightmare seemed much more real. If it was about to play out in the plane of reality, Belle wasn't entirely sure she could handle it. She had lost him so many times already; all she wanted was to have him, and never have to let him go again.

She bolted up in bed, her eyes darting about to search every shadowy corner of the bedroom, but she was alone. Close to hyperventilating, she all but toppled out of bed, breathlessly calling out for her Rumple. She had to find him and make sure he was still hers. Because if he was gone, her happiness went with him.

Belle picked herself up and raced on half-steady legs to the bedroom door, grasping the handle and calling out his name again in desperation before she flung open the door and scurried through it.

She smacked straight into Mr. Gold the moment she crossed the threshold, catching both of them off balance. Belle stumbled backwards a couple steps. looking at him with wide eyes, searching for any trace of the Dark One within him – but there was none of that. There was only her Rumple, clad in a pristine suit and wearing his perfect Mr. Gold persona – there was no trace of his Enchanted Forest counterpart.

And just like that, Belle burst into tears of relief, throwing herself into Mr. Gold's arms and burying her face in his chest. "It's you," she sobbed in relief, her voice thick. "Oh, thank god it's you."

Mr. Gold was thoroughly startled. He had barely popped out for half an hour, expecting to return to his love as he had left her – fast asleep, the serenest of expressions on her face with a smile still on her lips. He had certainly not been expecting her to come bursting in a tearful fright through the bedroom door and fall to pieces in his arms. What could have happened between his departure and his return?

He panicked. His thoughts raced as he imagined what could possibly be wrong with his Belle. He had never seen her like this before. Never. Not before the curse, in the Enchanted Forest, or here in Storybrooke. Something had to be very wrong.

"Belle," he said in a voice both soft and urgent. "What's the matter, love? What's wrong?" His hands went to her face, cupping her tear-stained cheeks in his palms so his fingertips extended into her hairline, seeking to detect a fever. "Are you ill? Do I need to take you to the hospital?"

She hiccupped and shook her head, clearly trying to regain enough of her composure to speak. "You… you were gone," she finally managed to choke out, looking positively miserable.

Rumpelstiltskin's heart throbbed. He pulled Belle closer to him, rubbing circles into the small of her back. It wasn't easy, trying to hold her as close as he wanted to and supporting his bad leg by leaning heavily on his cane at the same time. "I forgot something at the shop and I went to retrieve it," he told her softly, hating to feel her tremble in his embrace. He hated that she was so upset. "I was hoping I could pop in and out without waking you."

"No… no, it's not that," she cried. "I had… I had a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Rumple repeated, worrying further for her. Belle's dreams were exceptionally vivid, be they good or bad – but no bad dream had ever reduced her to this; a pale, weak, trembling girl desperate for his comfort. Well, he was more than willing to be there for her and chase the bad dreams away. "Come here, dear," he said gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her back into the bedroom. "Let's get you back into bed, and you can tell me all about it."

She nodded jerkily and allowed him to guide her back to the bed. He pulled the covers aside and watched as she crawled back onto the mattress before pulling the sheets back over her and brushing a few flyaway strands of hair away from her face.

Belle sniffled and wiped at her eyes, watching her Rumple cross the room back to his side of the bed. He sighed and sat down, swinging his bad leg first onto the bed and then the other, resting his back on the headboard.

Slowly, Belle shifted so she was on her hands and knees and crawled over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The steady thrum within his chest, that of the heart that loved her completely, comforted her. Rumple placed his arms around her, combing through her hair with one hand and rubbing circles in her back with the other. "Now, love," he said. His voice alone calmed her nerves. "Tell me about this nightmare."

Belle shut her eyes, hesitant. "Belle," Rumpelstiltskin sighed. "I can't help make it better if you won't tell me what's frightening you so much."

Belle made a small noise of surrender, shifting slightly beneath the covers before she began to speak is a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. "I was here, in bed, and you… you weren't. You were standing over there, by the dresser, completely still. I didn't know what to do. I went to you and… and you were different. Rough. Haggard."

A tremble racked her body and Rumple pulled her closer. "What are you talking about, dear?"

"And then… and then Zelena," Belle briefly choked on her words, her voice cracking on a soft sob. "Zelena was there, with your dagger, and… and…" Belle began to cry too hard to continue, clinging to Rumple's shirt. He couldn't hold her close enough. She took a deep breath and on the exhale whispered tremulously, "She told you… to kill me."

Rumple closed his eyes, sighing remorsefully. The man he had been when Zelena possessed the Dark One's dagger was not someone he wanted her to think about. She was the once to heal him, to _change_ him completely – he wanted her to see that person, the better one, the good one; he wanted her to see only the man he had become for her. "Oh, sweetheart," he breathed. "You don't have to worry about that, alright? Zelena's gone, remember?"

"I know," she said, her voice muffled. "I know she is. I just…" she trailed off and Rumpelstiltskin felt her body shudder again. A small sob escaped once more through her lips.

"Hush, my dear. It's alright. I understand," he assured her. He was holding her as tightly as he could, trying desperately to comfort her. It was all he could do to help fend off her nightmares, because she had refused more than once to allow him to cast a spell that would prevent such subconscious masochism. "Just calm down. It's alright."

She nodded and shut her eyes tight, trying to control her breaths. Rumple inclined his head just enough to graze a kiss across Belle's forehead. "It's over," he reminded her. "It wasn't real."

He waited until her breaths were steady and she opened her eyes before placing two fingers on her chin, drawing her face upward. He met her lips with his very gently; a soft, comforting sort of kiss. "Here, love," he said when they pulled apart, patting her side of the bed. "Lie down. I want to tell you a bedtime story."

"Don't you think I'm a little old for those?" she asked, the tiniest of smiles twitching at her lips. Relief tugged at Rumple's heart to hear the gentle teasing remark. She was slowly returning to her normal self. She did as she was told and laid back down.

"Oh, I think this is one you'll want to hear," Rumple said, caressing Belle's cheek. She shut her eyes and let out a sigh, this one more content than fearful. Rumple smiled softly as he placed his hand on her shoulder and felt the tension in her muscles release.

"Once upon a time," he began, idly stroking Belle's arm with his thumb. "There was a princess. A beautiful girl, with the kindest heart of anyone in any realm, loved by all. But she was kidnapped by a monster. A beastly man with a terrible heart."

"Rumple—"

He shushed her. "Let me tell the story," he said, placing a finger to her lips. "Where was I? Oh, yes… the monster was lonely, though he would never admit it. He kept this girl in his castle. Treated her with malice, like a servant. But by slow degrees, the girl changed him. She saw him for more than the monster he was. She somehow found it in her heart to love him. Really love him. She found the spark of goodness left in him and ignited it until it transformed him. She poured her heart out to him, creating a man who wanted to be his best. The best he could possibly be for her. Because he loved her in return, so much. So much he thought his heart would burst to just see her smile. And he wanted more than anything to deserve that beautiful girl… the only person in the world who could truly love such an ugly man."

Belle made a small sound, almost like a whimper; an in-between noise of joy and sorrow.

"What is it, dear?"

"I love you, Rumple," she whispered, and one of her hands reached out towards him. He took it in both of his and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

"Sleep now, love," he said, keeping her hand in his and leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I'll keep the nightmares away." She smiled and nodded slightly, slipping back into slumber. Rumple watched her for a few moments, watched her chest rise and fall as her breathing slowed and evened out. After a while he looked down at her hand in his and imagined what the engagement ring in his pocket would look like on her slender finger. He had chosen it specifically for her, and had been struck by a sudden need to retrieve it earlier in the night, prompting his brief jaunt to the shop. He wanted it close, in case the perfect opportunity to propose to his beloved arose unexpectedly.

He wanted to love her forever. He wanted to be hers forever.

It took but a few minutes to redress for bed and climb onto the mattress beside her. Belle awoke briefly upon his return to bed and rolled over into his arms, sighing softly as she snuggled into his chest and let his heartbeat lull her back to sleep. She was his, and he was hers. Perhaps there would be more trials to face together, and perhaps their love would be tested again in the future, but in that moment all she could think of was this small happiness; this small piece of their happily ever after.


End file.
